This invention relates to pump dispensers of the hand held type including a pump body mounted on a container and having a manually operated trigger for powering the pump. More specifically, this invention relates to such a dispenser in which the filling of the container is done through a conduit in the pump body.
The prior art is replete with pump dispensers of various types. These comprise pump bodies which are mounted on a supply container, the container being filled with liquid product before the pump is mounted. After the filling, the assembly of the pump onto the container is accomplished.
This procedure has involved the separate ordering, inventorying of pump and container, the filling of the container and the mounting of the pump on the filled container. Often in the filling process, the container is run along a conveyor prior to reaching the pump mounting station. If there is a mishap on the conveyor or if the filling head or container is out of line, there can be spillage with waste and mess. The installation of the pump on the filled container can also be fraught with hazards.
Under the present invention, the pump body includes not only the pump but also a fill conduit connected to the container. In the filling process, the container with pump body mounted is conveyed to a fill station wherein a fill nozzle is inserted into the fill conduit, and the container is filled. A closure is then applied to the upper end of the fill conduit.
As another way of expressing the invention, it is a hand held dispensing assembly comprising a container, a pump body secured to the container and including a forward manually operated pump having a dip tube extending into the container, and a rearward vertical fill conduit defined by an upper end and a lower end connected to the container, and a closure closing the upper end of the conduit.
Under the invention, the benefits are many. In the first place, because pump body and container are assembled before filling, there is no need for the filler to inventory separately the pumps and containers. This eliminates a serious logistic problem: making sure the pumps and containers arrive in time for the filling operation and not too far ahead of time because storage space is valuable. Further, separately moving and handling the components takes labor.
Secondly, the proper leakproof assembly of the pump body on the container is not done by the filler, but by the provider of the assemblies who is in better position to detect improper seating, cracked or deformed cartons, defective pumps, and improper torque in assembly in the case of a screw cap. Moreover, with the invention there is reduced line space, reduced capital requirement and a general reduction in inventory required and increased efficiency. Finally, the invention makes practical the simultaneous filling of assemblies arranged in an open carton.